Monday, May 2, 2016

Review: Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon

The last thing U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor wants is a high-profile
protection case that places him anywhere in the vicinity of the widow of his
best friend from college – the icy federal judge Elizabeth Michaels. Convinced
that Elizabeth’s single-minded drive to advance her career at the cost of her
marriage destroyed her husband, leading to his untimely death, Jake determines
to maintain a strict professional distance. But his resolve to maintain a cool
detachment is tested when it quickly becomes apparent that Liz’s sister was
murdered in a tragic case of mistaken identity, and the judge herself was the
intended victim.

Grief-stricken and vulnerable, the woman Jake gets to know while
attempting to protect Liz from the unknown killer’s second attempt is nothing
like the prejudiced mental image he’d carried with him for years. Intensely
private and dedicated to her work, Liz had never understood the animosity Jake
had projected during their few brief encounters years earlier. As she struggles
to cope with the guilt of a failed marriage, compounded by the brutal loss of
her last surviving family member, Liz struggles to cling to her faith as her
world seems to spiral increasingly out of control. When the murderer seizes a
second chance to eliminate Liz, Jake finds himself in a race against time to
save the life of the last woman he ever expected to invade is heart.

This is my second time to revisit the first installment of
Hannon’s series focusing on the U.S. Marshal Service. Matt and Nick, FBI agents
previously featured in her debut series, Heroes of Quantico, make brief
appearances – but whether one is a long-time fan of Hannon’s work or new to her
writing, revisiting Fatal Judgment has
proven that Hannon’s work stands the test of time. Rather than a feeling of déjà
vu, revisiting Jake and Liz’s story reminded me anew of Hannon’s facility for
penning a swoon-worthy romance wrapped up in a nail-biting storyline.

From the opening pages, it’s clear that Hannon has done her
homework into the protocols and logistics involved in a high-profile protection
case. She excels at immersing the reader in the high-stakes, fast-paced world
of the investigation, from evidence retrieval to the logistics of inter-agency
cooperation. Hannon’s storyline has a ripped-from-the-headlines appeal that
feels more relevant now than when it was first published in 2011. Given the
fractious nature of the current political cycle, Fatal Judgment’s focus on a deranged individual’s determination to
make a misguided political statement wrapped in the guise of patriotism lends
the novel a jolting sense of realism – a legitimacy that can often be lacking
in romantic suspense. This realistic spark is one of the many reasons I love
Hannon’s suspense novels – the stories she crafts are compulsively readable
because they are so incredibly well-researched and chillingly possible.

Irene Hannon is my go-to author for quality, un-put-downable
romantic suspense, a distinction made even firmer by the happy realization that
her novels stand the test of time and the often critical eye that can come from
revisiting a favorite author’s earlier work. I love her heroes – she’s one of
the best to write the male point-of-view in this or any genre, and U.S. Marshal
Jake Taylor, a member of the service’s elite Special Operations Group, is no
exception. Hannon adds depth to her hero by delving into his relationships with
his siblings, his dedication to his work and the members of his family adding
heart-warming depth to his character as the relationships are sketched on the
page.

But while I love a handsome, angst-ridden hero, perhaps best of
all Hannon’s heroines are no shy wallflowers that wilt in the fact of danger.
Despite the heartbreak of her failed marriage and the horror of her sister’s
murder, Liz is a fighter, smart and savvy in the face of danger. Passionate
about her work and dedicated to her faith, Liz’s determination to excel in her
field add a unique depth to the storyline. And I adore the fact that Jake and
Liz had a complicated history of preconceptions to worth through. Despite the
accelerated pace of their developing relationship, the mere fact that they have
shared “baggage” to work through is a refreshing change from stories where
couples – imperiled or not – who’ve just met fall in love.

Despite knowing the story’s outcome this time around, I found I
still could not put this novel down. With a subtly woven faith element that
feels completely organic to the storyline and characters’ history and
experiences, Jake and Liz’s journey to overcome past scars in the face of
life-threatening danger results in a compelling, page-turning read. Hannon
delivers a tautly-plotted thriller with a swoon-worthy hero, sizzling moments
of romantic tension, and a realistic, spine-chilling threat – all elements that
have made her a star author of romantic suspense. I absolutely cannot wait one
of her well-crafted worlds next!

About the book:

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven't warmed in the five years since she drove her husband - and Jake's best friend - to despair...and possible suicide.

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he's forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life - and his heart - are in danger.

Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.

Note: This is an edited and expanded version of my original review, first published in January 2011.